The Germans from Russia Heritage Collection at the NDSU Libraries
in Fargo reaches out to prairie families and former Dakotans. In
various ways, it affirms the heritage of the Germans from Russia
as an important part of the northern plains culture.

A new book is available authored by Everett C. Albers and D. Jerome
Tweton, "Germans from Russia Settlers." The authors share: "The
book collects eighteen of the personal histories of those who came
to that endless sea of grass that challenged their strength and
spirit as they broke the sod and farmed the land." Many photographs
and maps are included with wonderful stories such as "Fighting the
Worst of Prairie Fires: The Johannes Baumgartners"; "Searching for
Good Land in Logan County: John Gutschmidt"; "Teaching in Russia,
Farming in McHenry County"; "Working the Land and Working for God:
The Gottfried Kurtz Family"; and Hardship and Heartaches on the
Homestead: The August Flegel Family."

Everett Albers is executive director of the North Dakota Humanities
Council. Dr. Jerome Tweton is a retired professor of history at
UND and a well-known speaker and writer. More information and photographs
can be seen at the GRHC website: library.ndsu.edu/grhc/order/nd_sd/albers.html.

Prairie Public Television (PPTV) is pleased to announce the premiere
airing on Sunday, March 5, 2000, at 8 pm (CT) of the new documentary,
"Schmeckfest: Food Traditions of the Germans from Russia." The program
also premieres in March on South Dakota Public Television. We are
pleased that SDPTV joins PPTV in partnership for the premiere airings
of this second important new documentary on the Germans from Russia.
See the wonderful memories and foods including: Annie Roesch Larson,
Aberdeen, SD, making Easter bread; Theresa Kuntz Bachmeier, Rugby,
ND, preparing cheese buttons (Kaese Knoepfla); Jacqueline Dohn Maas,
Plymouth, MN, making pickled watermelon; and Edna Goebel Johnson,
Horace, ND, cooking Knoepfla soup and making Strudla. For more information,
go to the GRHC website: library.ndsu.edu/grhc/order/tapes/foodvideo.html.

Prairie Public Television is seen on North Dakota stations: KBME/2/Bismarck;
KDSE/9/Dickinson, KJRE/19/Ellendale, KFME/13/Fargo, KGFR/2/Grand
Forks, KSGR/6/Minot; KWSE/4/Williston, and Winnipeg Cable Channel
3. Later the documentary will be shown on other Public Broadcasting
Service stations (PBS) throughout the United States, including the
central and northern plains. For 35 years, Prairie Public Television
has supported the prairie community through broadcast and technological
services. PPTV has the largest square mileage of television coverage
of any PBS station in the United States.

The new German-Russian foodways documentary is part of Prairie
Public's Heritage Series. In 1999, PPTV produced the award-winning
program, "The Germans from Russia: Children of the Steppe, Children
of the Prairie." For further information about the new Germans from
Russia video, see Prairie Public's website: http://www.prairiepublic.org
or the GRHC website at "Video Documentary & Other Projects" at:
http://library.ndsu.edu/grhc.

On Saturday, March 4, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, at the Civic Center
Library Theater (lower level), 3839 Civic Center Blvd., Scottsdale,
Arizona, the new Germans from Russia foodways documentary will be
shown. The local contact person is Larry Haas, Sun City (Tel: 602-583-2040;
E-mail: haasle@juno.com). We
thank the Arizona Sun Chapter for hosting this event. The North
Dakota Picnic will be on Sunday, March 5, from 10 am to 3 pm at
Pioneer Park, Main Street, Mesa, AZ. The NDSU Library will sponsor
information tables at the picnic where books and the Germans from
Russia videotapes will be available for purchase.